Chase offers a number of strong business credit cards, but its particular strength is in business travel credit cards.
Chase partners with a number of popular hotels and airlines, and has some of the best interoperability between its own cards in its Chase Ultimate Rewards family. All but one of the Ink Business cards can pool their points together with one of Chase’s Sapphire cards to access hotel and airline transfer partners.
If you’re a business owner who travels often, consider adding one of these Chase cards to earn rewards for your business expenses and to access perks that could make traveling easier.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a good option if your business budget is widespread -- the rewards rate will apply equally to your office supplies, travel costs, gas and inventory.
It’s one of the few Chase business cards that offers an introductory APR on purchases too, which will allow you to finance large purchases with more breathing room. The welcome bonus is also on par with many other Chase business cards. This is a great general business credit card that can benefit nearly any company type or size.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months
- Regular APR
- 18.49% – 24.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a good option if your business budget is widespread -- the rewards rate will apply equally to your office supplies, travel costs, gas and inventory.
It’s one of the few Chase business cards that offers an introductory APR on purchases too, which will allow you to finance large purchases with more breathing room. The welcome bonus is also on par with many other Chase business cards. This is a great general business credit card that can benefit nearly any company type or size.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months
- Regular APR
- 18.49% – 24.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Ink Business Cash is similar to the Ink Business Unlimited: It has no annual fee, welcome bonus and introductory APR on purchases. The main difference is in the rewards structure.
The rewards are primarily targeted toward office supplies and telecommunications equipment such as internet and phone services. It’s also a decent business card for gas stations and restaurant rewards. However, if you’re looking to maximize gas rewards you may be better off with a competitor like the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi*.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
- Regular APR
- 18.49% – 24.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Ink Business Cash is similar to the Ink Business Unlimited: It has no annual fee, welcome bonus and introductory APR on purchases. The main difference is in the rewards structure.
The rewards are primarily targeted toward office supplies and telecommunications equipment such as internet and phone services. It’s also a decent business card for gas stations and restaurant rewards. However, if you’re looking to maximize gas rewards you may be better off with a competitor like the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi*.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
- Regular APR
- 18.49% – 24.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The first thing that stands out about the Ink Business Preferred is the outsized welcome bonus compared to its Ink counterparts. The rewards hit a few important categories for many businesses, including shipping purchases, advertising purchases with social media or search engines, internet, cable and phone services, and travel.
This card earns you rewards points rather than cash back, so you’ll have different redemption values. Redeeming your points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal will net you the highest value, so this card’s best suited as a business travel card. If it seems too good to be true in comparison, the catch is the $95 annual fee.
See our full review of the Ink Business Preferred card for more details.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.24% – 26.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The first thing that stands out about the Ink Business Preferred is the outsized welcome bonus compared to its Ink counterparts. The rewards hit a few important categories for many businesses, including shipping purchases, advertising purchases with social media or search engines, internet, cable and phone services, and travel.
This card earns you rewards points rather than cash back, so you’ll have different redemption values. Redeeming your points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal will net you the highest value, so this card’s best suited as a business travel card. If it seems too good to be true in comparison, the catch is the $95 annual fee.
See our full review of the Ink Business Preferred card for more details.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.24% – 26.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Business card is like many co-branded hotel credit cards wrapped in one -- you’ll earn hotel rewards and travel upgrades throughout a large collection of hotel brands.
The collection spans over 6,000 destinations and 17 hotel brands -- Regent, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Atwell Suites, Candlewood Suites, Six Senses, Crowne Plaza and more. You automatically get IHG® Rewards Platinum Elite status with your card membership, and perks like a Free Anniversary Night for your account anniversary at an eligible hotel worldwide. If you stay with any of those brands while away for business, this could be a useful addition to your wallet.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Business card is like many co-branded hotel credit cards wrapped in one -- you’ll earn hotel rewards and travel upgrades throughout a large collection of hotel brands.
The collection spans over 6,000 destinations and 17 hotel brands -- Regent, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Atwell Suites, Candlewood Suites, Six Senses, Crowne Plaza and more. You automatically get IHG® Rewards Platinum Elite status with your card membership, and perks like a Free Anniversary Night for your account anniversary at an eligible hotel worldwide. If you stay with any of those brands while away for business, this could be a useful addition to your wallet.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The United Club Business Card* is particularly expensive with a $450 annual fee. It’s essentially a premium business airline credit card, built for those who travel frequently, offering a more comfortable and affordable trip.
The primary counterbalance to the annual fee is a United Club Membership, which allows you and eligible travel companions to enjoy a workspace, lounge and complimentary refreshments at all United Club locations and participating Star Alliance™ affiliated airline lounges worldwide. You can also save up to $320 roundtrip via the free first and second checked bag perk for you and one companion traveling on the same reservation. If its fee fits into your travel budget, and you’d like to relax in an airport lounge, perhaps this is a card worth considering.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.74% – 28.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The United Club Business Card* is particularly expensive with a $450 annual fee. It’s essentially a premium business airline credit card, built for those who travel frequently, offering a more comfortable and affordable trip.
The primary counterbalance to the annual fee is a United Club Membership, which allows you and eligible travel companions to enjoy a workspace, lounge and complimentary refreshments at all United Club locations and participating Star Alliance™ affiliated airline lounges worldwide. You can also save up to $320 roundtrip via the free first and second checked bag perk for you and one companion traveling on the same reservation. If its fee fits into your travel budget, and you’d like to relax in an airport lounge, perhaps this is a card worth considering.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.74% – 28.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The United Business Card’s welcome bonus, rewards and annual fee are competitive with the likes of consumer airline credit cards. You’ll get two United Club one-time passes each year, priority boarding and a free first checked bag. It’s best for businesses that participate in occasional travel via United, as the $99 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year) is more manageable than the Club version of the card.
If you don’t travel often enough to justify the more expensive United options, this card could still help lower your travel expenses for business people who prefer to fly with United.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.99% – 28.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The United Business Card’s welcome bonus, rewards and annual fee are competitive with the likes of consumer airline credit cards. You’ll get two United Club one-time passes each year, priority boarding and a free first checked bag. It’s best for businesses that participate in occasional travel via United, as the $99 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year) is more manageable than the Club version of the card.
If you don’t travel often enough to justify the more expensive United options, this card could still help lower your travel expenses for business people who prefer to fly with United.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.99% – 28.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The latest member of the Ink Business card family, the Ink Business Premier is better suited to businesses who regularly make purchases totaling $5,000 or more -- which earn 2.5% cash back, regardless of the purchase category. For anything less than that, the card earns 2% cash back.
While the 2% to 2.5% rewards rate isn’t overly impressive compared to cards like the Ink Business Cash -- which earns 5% cash back in categories like office supply stores (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases each year) -- this card can be good for businesses who regularly make large purchases that don’t fall into the purchase categories business cards typically offer elevated rewards on.
Keep in mind that the Ink Business Premier does not earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points, meaning you can’t pool them with a Sapphire card to access airline and hotel transfer partners.
Unlike Chase’s other business cards, this is a pay-in-full card -- meaning you’ll need to either pay your balance in full every month or use Chase’s “Flex for Business” feature for eligible purchases to pay it off over time with interest, rather than having your remaining balance automatically roll over month to month.
The card includes a handful of useful protections, but nothing that helps mitigate the fee, so make sure your business spends enough to make the fee worth paying.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- Flex for Business Variable APR: 19.49% – 27.49%
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The latest member of the Ink Business card family, the Ink Business Premier is better suited to businesses who regularly make purchases totaling $5,000 or more -- which earn 2.5% cash back, regardless of the purchase category. For anything less than that, the card earns 2% cash back.
While the 2% to 2.5% rewards rate isn’t overly impressive compared to cards like the Ink Business Cash -- which earns 5% cash back in categories like office supply stores (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases each year) -- this card can be good for businesses who regularly make large purchases that don’t fall into the purchase categories business cards typically offer elevated rewards on.
Keep in mind that the Ink Business Premier does not earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points, meaning you can’t pool them with a Sapphire card to access airline and hotel transfer partners.
Unlike Chase’s other business cards, this is a pay-in-full card -- meaning you’ll need to either pay your balance in full every month or use Chase’s “Flex for Business” feature for eligible purchases to pay it off over time with interest, rather than having your remaining balance automatically roll over month to month.
The card includes a handful of useful protections, but nothing that helps mitigate the fee, so make sure your business spends enough to make the fee worth paying.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- Flex for Business Variable APR: 19.49% – 27.49%
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is the less expensive of the Southwest business cards. You don’t get the same level of travel extras -- this card is centered around its rewards program and welcome bonus.
What you do get is two Early-Bird Check-Ins® each year and 25% back on in-flight purchases. If you can’t make use of the Performance version of the card’s travel perks, this will likely be a better value for your business. If you don’t want to pay the higher fee to get better amenities, this card could still provide some useful features.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is the less expensive of the Southwest business cards. You don’t get the same level of travel extras -- this card is centered around its rewards program and welcome bonus.
What you do get is two Early-Bird Check-Ins® each year and 25% back on in-flight purchases. If you can’t make use of the Performance version of the card’s travel perks, this will likely be a better value for your business. If you don’t want to pay the higher fee to get better amenities, this card could still provide some useful features.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card provides rewards at any of the hundreds of hotel and resort destinations in the World of Hyatt® collection.
Besides the rewards and welcome bonus, you get access to the Hyatt Leverage program, which -- according to Chase -- saves cardholders an average of over $350 per year with discounts on the standard room rate at all participating Hyatt hotels. There are also additional opportunities to earn boosted rewards based on your overall spending habits. If you’re a World of Hyatt repeat customer, this credit card could help cut down on room costs.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card provides rewards at any of the hundreds of hotel and resort destinations in the World of Hyatt® collection.
Besides the rewards and welcome bonus, you get access to the Hyatt Leverage program, which -- according to Chase -- saves cardholders an average of over $350 per year with discounts on the standard room rate at all participating Hyatt hotels. There are also additional opportunities to earn boosted rewards based on your overall spending habits. If you’re a World of Hyatt repeat customer, this credit card could help cut down on room costs.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
Advantages of a Chase Bank Business Card
One of the biggest advantages of having a Chase business card is the interoperability between its Chase Ultimate Rewards family of cards. You’re able to transfer Ultimate Rewards points between Chase’s Ink Business cards, as well as between the Ink cards and personal credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, in order to maximize the value of your points.
For example, you could use the Chase Ink Business Cash to earn 5% cash back on office supply stores (up to $25,000 in purchases per year), transfer those points to your Sapphire Preferred or the Ink Business Preferred, and then take advantage of the Preferred’s airline and hotel transfer partners to book a free vacation or save on a business trip.
Pairing Ultimate Rewards cards is what really maximizes your earning potential. In this case, you get the 5% cash-back rate of the Ink Business Cash as well as the expanded redemption options of the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred.
Who can and should get a business card?
Any business owner or sole proprietor, whether they are a freelancer or gig worker, can apply for a business credit card. You don’t need to have employees or own a large company to qualify. Credit card issuers will check your personal credit score and history when you apply. Keep in mind that activity on your business card -- whether good or bad -- could also affect your personal credit score, depending on how your issuer reports to the credit bureaus.
If you have business expenses, a business credit card can provide rewards on your spending or help offset your costs with cash back. If you travel for business often, consider a business travel card that offers airport amenities such as lounge access or an application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
How to choose the right Chase business card for you
Chase provides a wide selection of solid business cards to choose from for every type of business. You’ll want to consider what you’re looking to use the card for, whether that be for general expenses or for travel.
For example, the Ink Business Cash card is one of the best general rewards cards for small businesses thanks to its rewards and welcome bonus. The Ink Business Preferred provides strong redemption options through Chase Ultimate Rewards, a 1:1 point transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners and other (primarily travel-related) benefits, at the cost of a $95 annual fee.
There are also co-branded cards with United, Southwest, World of Hyatt and IHG to think about if you often fly with or stay with those airlines and hotel brands.
Chase vs. other business card issuers
Chase’s strength comes from its Chase Ultimate Rewards program and how well its Ultimate Rewards cards operate together. Its travel card offerings are hard to beat thanks to special redemption bonuses and 1:1 transfer rates to travel partners on select cards.
Chase Business vs. Bank of America Business
Bank of America offers fewer business cards but has the Preferred Rewards Program, which boosts both its credit card’s earnings and the annual percentage yield on Bank of America savings accounts. In order to qualify, you’ll need to have a certain balance in a Bank of America checking or savings account and/or Merrill Investing accounts.
Compared to Chase, the Bank of America business credit cards have fewer redemption options. You’re pretty much limited to redeeming your points as cash back, statement credits, gift cards or through Bank of America’s own travel portal, without the ability to transfer your points to airline and hotel partners like some Chase cards.
If you’re looking for simple cash back, Bank of America’s cards aren’t a bad choice, but if you’re looking to maximize your travel rewards, Chase’s Ultimate Rewards cards are much more valuable.
Chase Business vs. Amex Business
American Express also offers a good selection of business cards, though you generally need good to excellent credit in order to qualify. Its travel cards have an emphasis on additional card perks.
Compared to Chase, American Express’s business credit cards tend to be much higher end, with perks and the annual fees to match. For example, Chase’s most expensive business card offering that isn’t a co-branded card, the Ink Business Premier, has an annual fee of $195.
By contrast, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a $695 annual fee but offers airport lounge access and various statement credits. Like Chase, American Express also has a wide variety of airline and hotel transfer partners for its Membership Rewards Points.
How to apply for a Chase business card
To get a business credit card, you’ll need to have a legally registered business, whether it’s a corporation (including LLCs), a partnership or a sole proprietorship.
You’ll need the following information to apply:
- Business name, address and phone number
- Industry
- Number of years in business
- Number of employees
- Annual business revenue
- Federal Tax ID: Your employer identification number (EIN) or your Social Security number (SSN)
To apply for a card, you can fill out an application online or in person at a Chase branch.
FAQs
The Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited all earn Ultimate Rewards points. Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred among Chase cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve.
This is a potentially valuable pairing, because the Sapphire cards feature a 1:1 point transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners. Point transfers could increase the value you get from your points, greatly bolstering the return on your travel spending.
Notably, the Ink Business Premier does earn Ultimate Rewards points, but you aren’t able to pool them with another card or transfer them to Chase’s travel partners. Instead, you can redeem your points for cash, gift cards, Apple products and travel bookings through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
Business credit cards are designed to offer business-related perks such as spend management tools and employee cards while earning rewards for business expenses. They might build business credit by reporting to business credit bureaus rather than the personal credit bureaus. Personal credit cards typically offer more rewards in everyday spending categories like gas and groceries, have lower credit limits and more general card perks.
Chase business cards typically require good to excellent credit. In order to qualify, your FICO score would need to be at least 670 while your VantageScore would need to be at least 661.
Generally, you need to have a credit rating of around 670 or higher to qualify for a business credit card, unless your business has been around for a while and has demonstrably steady and healthy revenue. As with all credit activities, if you can show that you’re a low-risk borrower, your credit score may have less of an impact.
Corporate credit cards, also known as commercial credit cards, are designed for larger businesses -- typically those with 100 or more employees or an annual revenue of at least $10 million.
Our methodology
CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles -- with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different -- and the designated function of a card.
*All information about the Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi and the United Club Business Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
